


suds and gentleness

by Saraste



Series: scars of azanulbizar [6]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Bathing/Washing, F/F, Family, Fluff, Post-Battle of Azanulbizar, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-21 05:09:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9533003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saraste/pseuds/Saraste
Summary: After Dwalin comes home, Nori helps her wash away the crime of her travels.





	

Dwalin sighs, relaxing under Nori’s touch, the caress of hot sudsy water. She feels like going boneless, soaking in the big tub with Nori’s hands on her, washing her, washing off the grimes of travel. She has not had a proper bath since before Azanulbizar, that the first bath since then is also with Nori is indeed fitting. Although this time won't end them same, maybe, with them in bed wound around each other, clinging desperately until the morning would come to separate them. This time their pleasures won't start already here in bath with slippery hands and flushed skin.

 

The pebble releases a happy little gurgle from their own little tub not a foot away from Dwalin’s, pudgy wee fists breaking the surface, making water slosh over the rim.

 

‘They really seem to be lively,’ Dwalin comments. 

 

Nori’s washing her back with slow circuitous movements of the wash-cloth, Dwalin feels grimy enough she might need another tub-filling. It’s not that they did not bathe in lakes and rivers on the way back home, just that there hadn't been but sand to scrub off with, as any helpful plants to use instead of soap had not been in season any longer. And her skin itches, like she could, needs to wash away lingering traces of battle, though there be none. She doesn't close her eyes, focuses herself on the moment, on Nori’s hands on her, on the laughter of their pebble.  

 

‘Oh, they are,’ Nori says and her hands still, skin seeks skin as Nori’s fingers lie on Dwalin's bare shoulder, ‘but they are shadowed, sometimes.’ Her finger rest on a scarring wound.

 

Dwalin wants to flinch. Doesn't. Nori has never said anything about her scars, she won't be starting now if Dwalin knows her at all. She looks at their pebble instead, content in bathing themselves. They are old enough to be on their own in their own tub but one can never know with pebbles and water, and the stone floor is hard.

 

‘I’ll watch her,’ Dwalin promises.

 

Nori presses a kiss to her shoulder and goes on with washing. This might be unlike any other time that the two of them have bathed together, but it's good. It's family. It's home. And once Dwalin has bathed Nori in turn and they have put their little dwarfling to bed, there’ll be braids to braid and a bed to share.

 

Yes. This is good. 

  
  
  



End file.
